23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks 5 days

Baby Length:  more than 11  inches long

Baby Weight:  Just over 1 lb

Baby weighs as much as: A Large Mango

Weight gain/loss:  And I'm still creeping on a come up...(if you listened to the same music as I did in high school you'll know what that line is from)...144 this week!  Whoopee!!  Up a total of 14 lbs from starting pregnancy weight of 130.  I can't fit into any pants or shorts and most of my skirts.  Its dresses or die these days.

Maternity clothes?  I think this is the week I will have Jake pull the maternity clothes donations out of the attic.  First and foremost because we move in 10 days.  Second, because nothing else is really fitting and it's time.
Stretch marks?  No new ones as of yet.  I'm finally starting to expand in the belly.  Up until this point its mostly been butt and thighs.
Sleeping?  I have so much energy!  I feel like I don't need as much sleep as usual and I'm never really tired except for in the morning when I first have to get out of bed.  I am having lots of strange dreams, and I don't know how good the quality of my sleep is, but I'm doing okay in that department these days.

Best moment this week: We had a little cookout by the pool at the new house with some friends for the 4th of July, and we sat outside the entire time...even until it was getting dark.  And I got ZERO....seriously, ZERO mosquito bites!!!  The Arrow Exterminating Spray is finally working!

Miss anything? Whitehaven Savignon Blanc.  My hot weather, cold white wine of choice.
Feel any movement? Nonstop movement.  Nothing terribly intense, but very frequent squirming around.  It is probably part of what keeps me up at night, but I find it very reassuring that the baby is moving all the time. 

Food cravings: Not really.  I did back cookie bars one night this week.  I'm not hungry often and I don't feel like I'm eating that much...but the weight keeps coming on.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still doing well.

Gender: We didn't find out.  But I am carrying so low, and so wide.  Another nudge in the pink direction we think. A coworker also did some Cuban culture test on me at a meeting in Orlando.  He placed a fork (or knife, I can't remember) taped to the bottom of a seat of a chair, and then did the same with a pair of scissors on another chair. Then he told me to look at the chairs and sit on the one that appealed to me.  I sat of the chair on my right when looking at the two, and he pulls out a pair of scissors from under the chair.  He claims that means girl.  For those of you who know the "ring test" - I did this out at dinner with friends one night and that claimed it was a boy.  So who knows??  We did order some nice gender neutral colored bedding from Pottery Barn kids this week.  A girlfriend told me the paisley was a little girly, but I'm ignoring her and getting it anyway.  I think it looks great for little baby boy or girl!  I did skip the ruffle bed skirt and go with a basic flat bed skirt with gray trim.  I ordered a few extra crib sheets in different designs, too.

Labor Signs: None.  But I do think I've had some Braxton Hicks kick in.  I've had some mild cramping and I feel my uterus tighten and get really hard from time to time.  It only lasts a little while and passes on its own without too much discomfort.
Symptoms:  Other than stress and a pimple here and there, I'm doing pretty well this week.  My feet will ache at the end of the day sometimes.
Belly Button? In
Wedding rings? On but tighter than ever.  Hope I can keep wearing my rings throughout pregnancy.
Happy or Moody? I am a crazy lady these days.  Literally a walking emotional roller coaster.  Poor Jakey.

Picture taken at 23 weeks 3 days: